Advertising and displaying machine



Jan. 26, 1932.

J. OS HEA I ADVERTISING AND DISPLAYING MAQHINE 4 sheetssh e et, 1

Filed Aug. 10, 1931 INVENTOR &

Jan. 26, 1932. QSHEA ADVERTISING AND DISPLAYING MACHINE 2 Filed Aug. 10,1931 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 W ma I I INVENTOR flares 015%ea,

ATTORNEYS Jan. 26, 1932. J. OSHEA 1,842,422

ADVERTISING AND DTSPLAY ING MACHINE 7 Filed Aug. 10, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet3' Fag 1o nmTnlmul In mun INVENTOR ATTORNEYS Jan. 26, 1932. 1 J, QSHEAADVERTISING AND DISPLAYING MACHINE Filed Aug. 10, 1951 4 Sheets-Sheet 4I ATTORNEYS Patented Jan. 26, 1932 PATENT OFFICE JAMES OSHEA, ornn'rnorr, MICHIGAN ADVERTISING AND DISPLAYING MACHINE Application filedAugust i0, 1921. Serial no. 556,149.

i The present invention pertains to a novel advertisement displaylngmachine, or for displaying samples of wall paper, cloth, etc., and

has particular referenceto that type of machine wherein a number ofadvertising panels or .cards are consecutively exposed to View throughan opening 01 pluralityof openings provided in an enclosing casing.

The primary object of the resentinvention is to provide a machine ordisplaying a number-of panels, signs, pictures, or cards having displayor advertising matter on both faces thereof, whereby alternate sides ofthese present display device; 7 Fig; 2 1s a cross sectionalvlew takenalong signs or cards may be exposed through a series of visibilityopenings provided in a caslng enclosing the machine. V

A further object ofthe present invention is to provide a deviceincluding a casing having an opening or openlngs therem across whlchcarry ng means, entirely enclosed within said casing, carries travelingdisplay panels, cards or similar devices and in a manner whereby suchdisplay devices remain stationary over a period of timewhile they aredirectly oppO- site the openings after-which theyare moved away fromsaid openings and'reversed sothat theopposite side of each card is inturn ex posed through thesame opening or openings. The casing issuchthat the device may be placed at various advantageous points, as a.

stationary display device and operated .by

any suitable power device or may be used as r a portable displayingdevice by mountingthe same upon a motor vehicle in which case the?movable carrying mechanism may be operatedby any suitablepower take-offto the motor ofthe vehicle; i 1

Withthe above and other ends in view the inventionconsistsyin mattershereinafter set fbrt-h and more particularly pointed out, the appendedclaims, referencebeing had to" the accompanying 3 drawings-,1 in whichFigure 1 1s a cross sectional the line2 2ofFig. 1;

Fig! 3 is a cross sectional view take theline3-3 ofFig. 1; a

Fig. 4 isa cross sectional view jtaken on the line of Fig. 1

connected plan of the 1 al ne Fig. 5 is a view-illustrating means ,fortransferring thepanel or card to display the opposite side thereof i rFig. 6 is a perspective detail, of one of the panelsor cards; and, j

' Fig; 7 is a diagrammatic view illustrating a modified constructioninwhich the enclosing casing is provided with a plurality of visibilityopenings and said carrier is arranged to display theseveralpanelstherethrough.

Like characters of reference are employed throughoutto designatecorresponding parts.

The numeral 1 indicates a substantially rectangular i casing having anopening or openings 2 formed in certainof the side walls thereof, therear wall of thecasing being formed with an opening 3 that providesaccessibility to the mechanism withinthe casing for the purpose ofchanging the panels or matter carried thereby andfor repairs or adjustments of the mechanism,- this opening 3 being normally closed by acover plate or door 4:. Rotatively mounted adjacent the corners of saidcasing are vertically disposed shafts 5, 6, 7 and 8, each shaftrespectively having a pair of spaced sprockets or similar devices 9, 10,11 and 12 mounted thereon. Mounted oneach of theshafts 5, 6, 7 and 8between the gears 9, 10, 11 and 12 are rollers 13, 14;, 15 and 16,respectively;

Vertically extending. shafts 17, 18 and 19, are rotatively mountedwithin the casing midway thereof between the shafts 6 and 7 at one sideof the casing and the shafts 5 and 8 adjacent the opposite side of saidcasing, substantially in the position illustrated in Fig. 1, and'arerespectively provided with pairs of sprockets or similarmembers 20, 21and 22 with rollers 23, 24c and 25 mounted upon said shafts between thesprockets of each pair. "Continuous chains-26 or other suitable flexibletravelling conveying members are trained over the several sprockets orpulleys in a manner to extend across the casing from the sprockets 9above and below the opening 2 to the sprockets 10, from which theyextend to the sprocket 11 on the shaft 7 and are then doubled back in aparallel run to the sprockets 20 on the shaft 17 and thence in a thirdparallel run to the sprockets 21, and over the same to provide a fourthparallel run to the sprocket 22 and thence around said sprockets 22 andback in a fifth parallel run to the sprocket 12, from which they extendto the sprocket 9, or point of beginning, forming two continuousruns ofchain within the casing, one near the top thereof above the plane of theupper end of the opening or openings 2 therein, and the other near thebottom of said casing below the. planeof the lower end of said openingor openings, with intermediate parallel runs, forming loops in thechains intermediate the side or main runs along the front and back wallsof the casing and behind the runs extending across the end of the casingadjacent the opening 2 therein, to give extended length to the chainswithin the small space within the casing.

To cause the chains to travel over the several sprockets there isprovided an electric motor indicated at 27 in Fig. 1, or other powerdevice, connected by belt 27 to a pulley or wheel 28 which is keyed to ahorizontal shaft 29. Upon the opposite end of said shaft 29 is mounted abevel gear 30 in mesh with a bevel gear 31 keyed upon a short verticalshaft 32. On the upper end of said shaft 32 is mounted a mutilated gear33, having gear teeth upon approximately one half of its periphery. Thismutilated gear 33 is arranged to mesh with a second mutilated gear 34which is devoid of teeth throughout a small portion of its periphery attwo diametrically opposite points so that the gear 33 must make twocomplete revolutions in order to impart one revolution of the gear 34which remains stationary during one half of each revolution of the gear33. The gear 34 is secured to the hub 36 of a gear 35, both gears beingsecured upon the upper end of a short vertical shaft 37 mounted in asuitable bearing on the bottom of the casing. The gear 35 isofcomparatively large diameter and meshes with a gear 38 secured to theupper end of a third short vertical shaft 39 having a gear 40 securedthereon in mesh with a gear 41 secured to the shaft 5.

The above described gear mechanism thus provides an intermittent drivebetween the motor 27 and the shaft 5, and as the shaft 5 drives, throughthe medium of the sprockets 9 and 10 thereon, the chains 26, thosechains are intermittently driven and the present invention contemplatesthe attaching of display panels or cards to said chains in a mannerwhereby some of said display devices are held opposite of and arevisible through said opening or openings 2 during the time said 7 chainsare stationary, due to the lack of transmitted motion from one to theother of said mutilated gears 33 and 34.

The present chain arrangement provides for the attachment theretoofseveral display panels or cards, such as'illustrated in Fig. 6,

each comprising a flexible card or thin panel 42 preferably havingadvertising or other display matter on both sides thereof. At each endof each card or panel 42 is secured an elastic strip 43 extending acrossthe full width of each card and the opposite edge of each elastic stripis secured between opposed lips 44 on a cross bar 45. On each end ofeach bar 45 is a bracket, each forming a socket 46, the axis of whichlies in the longitudinal plane of the card and also formed each with apair of open sockets 47 spaced laterally of and at opposite sides ofsaid plane of the socket 46.

At regularly spaced intervals on the chains 26 are provided fingers 48projecting laterally therefrom and said cards are carried by saidchains, by placing'said cards between said chains with said fingers 48received in said sockets 47 which project laterally be yond one side ofsaid cards. These fingers 48 areso spaced on each chain that the elasticstrips 43 on the ends of the cards will be slightly stretched when thefingers are engaged in the sockets and these strips thus providesufficient tension to hold these fingers engaged in said sockets and thecards thus firmly held attached at their opposite ends, to the chainsand under slight tension therebetween.

From the foregoing it becomes apparent that said panels or cards 42 arecarried by and moved along with the intermittently driven chains 26sothat they pass and are displayed through the opening or openings 2.The multilated gears 33 and 34 are so arranged and timed relative to themovement of said chains that the lapse in the travel of the chainsoccurs when one of the cards is directly opposite one of the openings 2.As described thus far, however, only one side of each card would bevisible through said opening and the present invention furthercontemplates the reversing of each of the cards after they have passedsaid opening in order that the opposite side of the card may bedisplayed through that opening.

The mechanism for reversing the cards to display the other side afterone side has been shown, includes a pair of vertically disposedrotatable shafts 49 and 50 extending from top to bottom. of the casing 1and are mounted at their ends in suitable bearings on said top andbottom. On the shaft 49 is mounted agear 51 which is devoid of teeth atthree points, as at 52, and this gear meshes with the above describedmutilated gear 33 so that every complete revolution of the gear 33causes one third of a revolution of the gear 51 and shaft 49. A bevelledgear 53 on the shaft 49 is in mesh with a bevelled gear 54 on ahorizontal shaft 55 mounted in suitable bearings on the bottom of saidcasing and having a bevelled gear 56 on its opposite end in mesh with abevelled gear 57 on said vertical shaft 50 adjacent the end a of thecasing opposite that at which the shaft 49 is located, so thatsaidshafts 49 and 50 are geared together to rotate simultaneously- 1 inopposite dlrections, it being obvious that the mutilated gears 33 and 51cause said shaftsto be intermittentlyrotatedr Brackets 58 (see Fig. 2)are mounted on the 16 top and bottom walls of the casing adjacent theshaft 49 and rotatably support short shafts 59 projecting downwardlyfrom the casing top and upwardly from its bottom, said short shaftshaving gears 60 secured thereon to turn therewith andto mesh with largegears 61 mounted on the shaft 49. (See Fig. 4). Similar brackets 62 aremounted on-the top and bottom walls of the casing 1 adjacent the shaft50 and form bearing supports for short shafts 6 3 similar to the shaft59 and have gears 64 to mesh with large gears 65 on said shaft 50. Onthe lower ends ofthe shafts 59 and 63, are. cranks 66 and 67, whichcranks have downwardly projecting fingers 68 and 69, respectively.

The shafts 59 and 63' are so positioned by the brackets 58 and 62thatthey extend vertically and are located exactly half way be tween thetwo parallel runs ofthe chains 26 extending from the gears 21 to thegears 22, and from the gears 22 back to the gears 12, and whensaidchains carry one of the cards along one ofthese runs, to a pointwhere the sockets 46 at each end of the card, are directly opposite thecenters of the shafts 59 and 63 with certain other of the cards locatedopposite the openings 2 and the chains and cards are stopped for aninterval in their travel or during one half of arevolution' of the gear33, the gear 33 not driving the gear 34 during this interval but is atthisjtime in mesh with and driving the mutilated gear 51 so that saidgear 51 will make one third of a complete revolution during thisinterval. This partial rotation of the gear 51 causes partial rotationof the shafts 49 and 50 and also the gears 61 and 65, which rotation ofsaid gears61 and 65 causes one complete revolution ofthe gears 60 and 64and the cranks 66 and 67 due to the proper proportionin of the gears 60and 64 relative to the said gears 61 and 65.

As the cranks 66 and 67 are rotated during the period of rest in thetravel ofsaid chains, 1 a r they will engage in certain of the sockets47 atthe opposite ends of this particular card as clearly illustrated inFig. 5, and continu ing rotation in opposite directions, they stretchthe elastic members 43, and thereby disengage the sockets 46 from thefingers 48 on the chains 26. These cranks further conopposite run of thechain betweenthe gears to said chain butwith the opposite surface of thecard nearest to the outside surfaceof the chain or ina reversed positionupon the chain, so that when it again passes said opening in the casing,its side opposite to that previously displayed will be shown.

In order to prevent sagging or distortion of theconveyor chains ormembers 26 between the sprockets 21 and 22 and the sprockets 22 and 12during theabove described operation, guide bars 68' are provided tosupport and hold these runs of the chain against sagging so that thefingers 68 and 69 of the cranks 66 and 6? will surely engage within thesockets 47 during rotation of said cranks, and so that the pins 48 willnot become disengaged from the sockets 46 except when so disengaged bysaid cranks, and further, so that saidpins 48 on the opposite run, willalways he in position to engage the sockets 46 when the-card or panel istransferred by said cranks, from one. run to the other of the chain.

Adjacent the top and bottom of each opening2 in the casing, are mountedplates 69 havingilongitudinal slots 7 0 formed therein, extendingparallel with the adjacent runs of the chains 26; At one end, the slotsare curved to correspond with the curvature of the chain as it passesover sprockets 9 and 10, and the-opposite ends of said slots areextended so that the space between the chains and slots becomes greateras the chain rounds the. sprocketslO and 11. Adjacent the ends of theslots that are nearest the sprockets, is mounted a roll screen 71 on aroller 72 which is provided with a coiled spring 78 which normally tendsto wind the screen on the on the chains 26 are rigidly secured fingers i8 extending transversely of the chains to en gage the cross bars 74 onthe screen T1, during the travel of said chains and draw the screenacross the opening 2 saidfingers being withdrawn from engagement withsaid cross bar as that portion of the chains carrying saidfingers passesaround the sprocket, thus permitting the spring to quickly roll thescreen andwithdraw it from across the openlng. i i

In operation, the cover plate 4 is removed and the cards or panelshooked upon the fingers 48 and as the chains 26 are propelled along, thecards are carried past the openings 2. The geartiming mechanism isoperated by the mutilated gear 33 so that the cards remain stationaryfor a period of time while they are directly opposite the openings.While the cards are coming into view through any of the openings 2, theabove described screen is adapted to hide the card until it is entirelyopposite the opening 2.; This is accomplished by the arms 7 that areoositioned a short distance in front of'the ngers 48 that carry theforward edge of the advertising card. As the card is carried along, thearms precede the forward edge of the card and engage the cross bar 74and force it along the slots 70, thereby unrolling the screen 71 fromthe roller 7 2 and winding the spring 73. As the arm 75 passes the endof the slot 70 the cross bar Tet is released and the spring re-rolls thescreen on the roller, and therefore it is impossible to see the cardthrough the opening 2 until the card is in a position where it isvisible in its entirety and where it is held stationary during theperiod of rest of the chains caused by the mutilated gear arrangement. I

In the construction shown in Figure 1, there are three openings 2through which the advertising cards may be displayed, the enclosingcasing 1 being of rectangular outline, but it will be understood thatany number of openings may be provided, as shown in Fig. 7 wherein byarranging the sprockets 76 adjacent each corner angle and doubling thechain back as at 77 to the start of the parallel runs 7 8. Obviously theruns of the carriers 'or chains may extend in a horizontal direction asshown, or in a vertical directionand the driving and transfer mechanismsmay be panels transferred therefrom to other parts of the continuouscarrier or conveyor formed by such chains or cables.

Although speclfic embodlments of the present invention have beenillustrated and described it is to be understood that various changesmay be made, within the scope of the appended claims, without departingfrom the spirit of the invention, and such changes are contemplated.

What I claim is 1. In a machine of the character described a casinghaving an opening in a wall thereof, a travelling conveyor supported toextend adjacent said opening, members projecting from said conveyor,display panels having open sockets to detachably receive said members onsaid conveyor, resilient means for detachably holding said sockets onsaid panels engaged with said members, and means for imparting atravelling movement to said conveyor.

2. In a machine of the character described, a casing having an openingin a wall thereof, travelling conveyor members supported in said casingto travel across adjacent opposite edges of said opening, members projecting from each o'f'said conveyor members, display panels detachablyengaged at opposite'ends with said projecting members of said conveyormembers, resilient means exerting a force in a direction transversely ofsaid conveyor members and longitudinally of said panels to detachablyhold said panels engaged with said members, and means for imparting atravelling movement to said conveyor members. a

3. In a machine of the character described, a casing having an. openingin a wall there of, continuous conveyor members supported in said casingwith parallel runs extending transversely of said opening adjacentopposite edges thereof, means in said casing-for directing andsupporting said conveyor members, flexible panels carried by and movablewith said conveyor members past said opening in said casing, means atopposite ends of each panel to detachably engage said conveyor members,means associated with each panel for exerting a yielding force tendingto shorten its over-all length and detachably hold said means at the,opposite ends of each panel engaged with said conveyor members, andmeans for imparting a simultaneous travelling movement to said cpnveyormembers.

4. In a machine of the character described, a casing having an openingin a wall thereof, a pair of continuous conveyor members in said casingwith parallel runs extending transversely of said opening adjacentopposite edges thereof, means in said casing for directing andsupporting said conveyor members, flexible panels to extend acrossbetween said runs of said conveyor members, means at each end of eachpanel providing open sockets, means on said conveyor members to engagewithin said sockets and detachably hold said panels attached to saidconveyor members, and means for imparting a simultaneous travellingmovement to said conveyor members.

5. In a machine of'the character described, a casing having an openingin a wall thereof, a pair of continuous conveyor members in said casingwith parallel runs extending transversely of said opening adjacentopposite edges thereof, means in said casing for di recting andsupporting said conveyor members, flexible panels to extend acrossbetween said runs'of said conveyor members, means at each end of eachpanel providing open sockets, means on said conveyor members to engagewithin said sockets and detachably hold said panels attached tosaid'conveyor members, means carried by each panel for yieldingly anddetachably holding said means on said conveyors engaged in said socketson said panels, and means for imparting simultaneous travelling movementto said conveyor members.

6. In a machine of the character described, the combination of spacedapart continuous members.

conveyor members, means for supporting and directing said members,fingers projecting the combination of spaced apart continuous conveyormembers, means for supporting and directing said members, fingersprojecting from said conveyor members, flexible panels adapted to extendacross from one to the other of said conveyor members and to be carriedthereby, open socket members secured to saidpanels at each end of eachpanel to receive said fingers, yieldable means for detachably holdingsaid socket members engaged with said fingers, means for causing atravelling movement of said conveyor members, and means operated intimed relation to the travelling movement of said conveyor members fordisengaging'said socket members from said fingers and removing saidpanels, one at a time, from said conveyor 8. In a machine of thecharacter described, the combination of a casing having an opening in awall thereof, a conveyor comprising a pairof continuous memberssupported in said casing for travelling movement across opposite edgesof said opening and having portions of said conveyor directed to form apair of spaced apart runs, panels carried by said conveyor and extendingacross between the membersthereof, transfer means mounted between saidruns of said conveyor and adapted to disengage said panels from one runof said conveyor and carry the disengaged panel across to the other runand engage it therewith, means for actuating said conveyor to cause atravelling movement thereof and for actuating said transfer means.

9. In a machine of the character described, the combination of, a casinghaving an opening in a wall thereof, a conveyor comprising a pair ofcontinuous members supported in said casing for travelling movementacross opposite edges of said opening and having portions of saidconveyor directed to form a pair of spaced apart runs, flexible panelscarried by said conveyor and extending across between the membersthereof and detachably attached at their ends to said members, andtransfer means mounted between said runs of said conveyor and adapted todisengage said panels from one run of said conveyor and carry thedisengaged panel across to the other runand engage it therewith, meansfor actuating said conveyor to cause a travelling movement thereof, andmeans for actuating said transfer means in timed relation to the travelof said conveyor.

' 10; In a machine of the character described, the combination of acasing having an opening in a wall thereof, a continuous conveyorsupported in said casing to extend adjacent said opening, panels movablewith said conveyor across said opening in one direction only, means forimparting anintermittent travelling movement to said conveyor in onedirection only, a screen movable with said conveyor across saidopening-in said casing simultaneously with and during the movement ofeach panel across said opening, and means for retracting said screenfrom across said opening when each panel is stopped and held by saidconveyor in a position to cover said opening, whereby eachpanel-isconcealed from view through said openingduring its travelingmovement and is displayedby the withdrawal of said screen, when saidpanel comes to rest.

"11. In a machine of the character described, the combination of-acasing having an openingin a wall thereof, a continuousconveyorsupported in said casing to extend adjacent said opening, panelsdetachably engaged and movable with said conveyor across said opening,means for imparting an intermittent travelling movement to said conveyorin one direction only, a screen detachably engaged with said conveyorand movable across said opening in said casing simultaneously with themovement of each panel across said opening, and means for releasing saidscreen from said conveyor and retracting said screen from across saidopening when each panel has been moved to a position covering saidopening and come to rest, said means for imparting intermittent movementto said conveyor being arranged to stop said conveyor with one of saidpanels in position opposite said opening.

12. In a machine of the character described, the combination of a casinghaving an opening in a wall thereof, a continuous conveyor supported insaid casing to extend adjacent said opening, panels detachably engagedand movable with said conveyor across said opening, means for impartingan intermittent travelling movement to said conveyor in one directiononly, a screen movable across said opening in said casing simultaneouslywith the movement of each panel across said opening, means on saidconveyor for engaging and moving said screen across said openingsimultaneously with the movement of each panel across said opening,means for releasing said means on said conveyor from engagement withsaid screen when said pane] comes to rest opposite said opening, and.means for retracting said screen from across Ill) said opening whenreleased by said means on said conveyor to display said panel throughsaid opening while said panel is held stationary during the intermissionin the move- 5 ment thereof and of said conveyor.

13. In a machine of the character described, the combination of arectangular casing having an opening in a wall thereof, a plurality offlexible panels, a shaft mounted 1 in bearings adjacent each corner ofsaid casing, a continuous conveyor to which said panels are attached,members on said shafts over which said conveyor passes, rotatablemembers adjacent opposite ends of the cas- '1 ing intermediate the runsof said conveyor extending along opposite walls of said casing and overwhich intermediate members said conveyor is passed to form a pluralityof intermediate runs of said conveyor, and gearas ing for transmittingmotion to certain of said shafts for rotating said members over whichsaid conveyor is trained and N [ha i id conveyor, said gearing includingmultilated gears for transmitting an intermittent travelling motion tosaid conveyor to stop the same each time a panel is brought directlyopposite said opening in the casing.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

J AMES OSHEA.

